Culminating

Experience Part 3

COLIN REUBEN

L O S A N G E L E S PA C I F I C
UNIVERSITY

PROFESSOR R. CARTER
 HIV/AIDS & HOMELESS
AWARENESS
According to the County of Los Angeles Public Health 2019 HIV Surveillance Annual
Report, there are approximately 52,004 people currently living with diagnosed HIV in Los
Angeles County (LAC), and 99.9% of these individuals were ages thirteen and older. The
newly diagnosed HIV count for children under the ages of thirteen remains low but not within
the target goal for elimination of mother-to-children transmission of HIV (County of Los
Angeles Public Health, 2020, p. 8). The most significant gaps in awareness of HIV-positive
status existed for persons under the age of thirty-five. Over fifty percent of HIV-infected
persons between the ages of thirteen and twenty-four and one-third of HIV-infected persons
between the ages twenty-five and thirty-four were unaware of their infection. Disparities also
existed for persons who inject drugs. Over one-third of HIV-infected persons with the disease
are unaware of their status, and only fifty-five percent having tested for HIV within the past
year. There are continued disparities in HIV diagnosis by population and geographic location.
Since COVID-19, the homeless population has increased, and more people have become
unhoused. LAPH expressed concerning HIV trends persist among persons experiencing
homelessness. HIV diagnosis rates are rising among unhoused persons. Additionally,
unhoused persons have poorer outcomes across the HIV care continuum, lack access to
healthcare resources, and loss of hope in society. Health districts with the greatest need for
interventions to improve linkage to HIV care services were Antelope Valley, El Monte, and
South Health Districts, where linkages rates were less than or equal to seventy percent
(County of Los Angeles Public Health, 2020, p. 8-9).
According to the Valley Press, the homeless population increased approximately 44%
according to the 2020 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count data released by the Los
Angeles Homeless Services Authority (Drake, 2020).
Los Angeles
County Take Action
Los Angeles County Commission on HIV continues to study the HIV
Care Continuum. It has set forth a comprehensive HIV Plan since
2017 to raise awareness and collaborate with the current Ryan White
Program. Los Angeles County Commission on HIV has a projection
end date by the end of this year. The Los County Public Health
Division of HIV and STD Programs (LAC DHSP) and/or City of Hope
(COH) will implement at least three internal efforts to improve the
coordination of HIV programs within the Los Angeles County
Department of Health Services (increase coordination with key
stakeholders) (Los Angeles County Commission On HIV, 2021). LAC
will increase the percentage of newly diagnosed persons linked to
HIV medical care within one month of their HIV diagnosis to at least
eighty-five percent. LAC's objective will increase the rate of
diagnosed HIV infection retained in HIV medical care to at least 85%.
LAC will decrease the number of new HIV diagnoses by at least 30%
in the following groups: Blacks/African Americans MSM, Latino MSM,
and Transgender Persons. LAC will increase to 80% viral suppression
among the following groups: persons who inject drugs, youth (18-29
years), ciswomen, transgender persons, Blacks/African Americans,
and American Indians/Alaska Natives.
Los Angeles County Take Action (Cont.)
∙ Biomedical device studies such as rapid HIV testing that identifies HIV antibodies and antigens have
improved over the past decades. From giving blood to cheek swabs, from waiting days to now waiting
less than an hour for your results, it helps individuals get people to know their status faster to start
treatment as soon as possible. The Los Angeles LGBT Center conduct Bio-behavior research and
longitudinal studies such as the NIH funded mStudy (MSM and Substance Using Cohort at UCLA: Linking
Infections/Noting Effects), which studies HIV+ and HIV- substance-using gay and bisexual men of color to
understand the current HIV epidemic and populations better most impacted (Los Angeles LGBT Center,
2021).
∙ Project Roomkey, established in March 2020, and its main objective is to provide non-congregate shelter
options for people experiencing homelessness, protect human life, and minimize strain on health care
system capacity (California Department of Social Services, 2021). Thanks to Kensington Campus that is
located on Avenue I and 32nd Street West and the assistance of People’s Choice that help house
individuals and families in these apartment units in the Kensington Campus to reduce the homeless
population numbers (Drake, 2020).
 Local Resources in the Antelope Valley
M E N TA L H E A LT H O F
The Catalyst Foundation
AMERICA
Phone: 661-948-8559
PHONE: 661-726-2850
547 West Lancaster Blvd, Lancaster, CA
506 WEST JACKMAN
S T R E E T, L A N C A S T E R , C A
Tarzana Treatment Center
Phone: 888-777-8565
M E N TA L H E A LT H O F 907 West Lancaster Blvd., Lancaster, CA
AMERICA

PHONE: 661-726-2850 AIDS Healthcare Foundation

1 6 0 9 E A S T PA L M D A L E Phone: 661-723-3244
B LV D , PA L M D A L E , C A 1669 West Avenue J Suit#301, Lancaster,
CA
 My Culminating Experience in the HIV/AIDS,
LGBTQA+, & Homeless Community
Los Angeles County has been my home for the past thirty-three years,
and I have seen it grow. Being a gay male in Los Angeles County and
having encountered numerous concerns of lack of resources, socio-
cultural factors that influence men and women's decision-making about
when or how to disclose their HIV status to friends, family, or their
loved ones can be challenging. Negative consequences such as
overwhelming knowledge that they are HIV positive, shame, rejection,
discrimination, isolation of loved ones, or secondary stigma are reasons
people don't want to disclose their status. When questioned,
consequences such as denial state that they are "unaware" of their HIV
status can consume the individual's mindset (Iwelunmor, Sofolahan-
Oladeinde, & Airhihenbuwa, 2014). One of my undergraduate college
professors has once told us right before our graduation ceremony, "Now
what?" me wanting to be a public health professional and wanting to
assist the LGBTQA+ community about HIV/AIDS health and the
homeless population is first to remove system barriers to care.
My Culminating Experience in the HIV/AIDS, LGBTQA+,
& Homeless Community (Cont.)
As a public health professional, it would be ideal to have events and outreach by handing out fliers across the
community to raise awareness of this public health concern and gather one of the local community agency
workers that represent in the local areas to come to the event to speak about what their company do and
provide awareness to the community. Awareness and communication are critical that I have learned
throughout my culminating experience because people will be surprised by so many untapped resources that
individuals were not aware of this whole time. My Christian worldview vision shares alongside with Los
Angeles County Commission on HIV by increasing housing stability among those who are diagnosed with
HIV, homeless affected by COVID-19, or chronically homeless, access to mental health services, expand
access to Ryan White-funded services, and reduce the HIV stigma and address other social determinants of
health that are barriers to accessing the full continuum of services. Someone compassionate, empathetic, a
team player, an effective listener, and have excellent problem resolution skills like myself can see me as a
Community Health Worker that can fit in the role to help take on this role in studying the HIV Care
Continuum in Los Angeles County (Los Angeles County Commission On HIV, 2021).
References:
∙ California Department of Social Services. (2021). Project Roomkey/Housing and Homelessness COVID Response. Retrieved from
https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/cdss-programs/housing-programs/project-roomkey
∙ County of Los Angeles Public Health. (2020). HIV Surveillance Annual Report 2019. Retrieved from
http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/dhsp/Reports/HIV/2019Annual_HIV_Surveillance_Report_08202020_Final_revised_Sept2020.pdf
∙ Drake, J. (2020). Homeless Population Increases by 44%. Retrieved by
https://www.avpress.com/news/local_news/homeless-population-increases-by-44/article_fbc7d65e-ba79-11ea-ad99-bf5f8067bc49.
html
∙ Iwelunmor, J., Sofolahan-Oladeinde, Y, & Airhihenbuwa, C. (2014). Socio-cultural Factors Influencing HIV Disclosure Among Men in
South Africa. American Journal of Men's Health 2015, Vol. 9(3) 193–200. Retrieved from
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1557988314535235

∙ Los Angeles County Commission On HIV. (2021). Comprehensive HIV Plan (CHP) 2017-2021. Retrieved from

http://hiv.lacounty.gov/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=BrXD9wIBVos%3D&portalid=22

∙ Los Angeles LGBT Center. (2021). Health Services Clinical Research. Retrieved from

https://lalgbtcenter.org/health-services/clinical-research